American TV journalism loves to reduce the most complicated, nuanced issues into simple, often absurd choices. So, in this spirit of inquiry, let me try this question on you.

Although its debut has already been delayed a few times, the new Al Jazeera America news channel is supposed to launch on U.S. cable and satellite systems in a few months, creating considerable buzz in the American media industry and much anxiety within Al Jazeera, given its immense price tag.

This week,
a widely circulated story from The New York Times
suggested Al Jazeera intends to ditch its award-winning emphasis on international news and instead try to be “American through and through” to curry public and political favour. According to the story, drawn from interviews with my former colleagues at Al Jazeera: “It will, in other words, operate much like CNN (though the employees say they won’t be as sensational) and Fox News (though they say they won’t be as opinion-driven).”

Question: “Given this description, do you think American viewers will turn away from their current channels and switch to Al Jazeera to get their American news?”

Answer: 1) Yes; 2) No; or 3) Have you completely lost your marbles?

Choose one.

If you chose No. 3, go to the head of the class.

Last January, when it was announced that Al Jazeera had purchased Al Gore’s Current TV for a reported $500 million, this looked like a bold move by the Qatar-based news network to expose Americans to its unique brand of provocative international news and programming. There is no similar channel available in the U.S. and it is a niche that needs to be filled.

But now, six months later, the Al Jazeera America project has the odour of potential disaster. It has apparently abandoned its initial plan to blend new programming from the U.S. (60 per cent) with its award-winning programming from Al Jazeera English (40 per cent). Its launch keeps getting delayed and it has been unable so far to hire an American senior team. Even worse, the rumoured shortlist of potential “presidents” includes several of the people who have driven U.S. cable networks, including CNN, to a level of utter mediocrity.

In order to win over America’s media and political elites, Al Jazeera’s senior management in Doha is placing its “brand” of fearless, provocative international journalism at considerable risk. There was much worry in mid-May among Al Jazeera journalists about a decision by senior management to delete a controversial essay about Zionism and anti-Semitism by Columbia University Middle East scholar Joseph Massad.

Not surprisingly, the essay triggered a fierce response, including from correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, who tweeted: “Congratulations, Al Jazeera: You’ve just posted one of the most anti-Jewish screeds in recent memory.” What was surprising was that Al Jazeera then deleted it from its website without explanation. After internal protests, that decision was reversed, but it is widely believed that this was an effort by Al Jazeera’s senior management to placate its American critics.

In any discussion about Al Jazeera, there is wonder about the importance of the government of Qatar in all of this. Not unlike the CBC in Canada, the Qatari government supplies the majority of Al Jazeera’s funding. During the period 2008-2010, when I was in Doha as managing director of Al Jazeera English, I never sensed any involvement by Qatar’s government in our journalism. In fact, as I often said to groups in Canada, I found the Canadian government more meddlesome when I was head of CBC News.

However, that was then and this is now. The Qatari government now assumes a far greater importance in the Middle East than when I was in Doha. And, I am certain, Al Jazeera’s performance is now closely monitored if not influenced by Qatar’s government. I do know there was no feeling within Al Jazeera when I was in Doha that the American project should assume the financial importance it now does. To me, that inevitably was a decision by the Qatari government.

Question: “Does it make sense that Al Jazeera’s new-found timidity in its dealings with the United States flows from a desire by its Qatari patrons to improve relations with Washington?”

Answer: Good question.

Tony Burman
, former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News, teaches journalism at Ryerson University.

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